Need to apply ourselves in batting department: SA coach

L Nandan

Cape Town, Jan 17 (PTI) South Africa will have to sortout its batting woes ahead of the third one-dayer againstIndia here tomorrow if they desire to seize the initiative inthe five-match series, according to coach Corrie van Zyl.

Van Zyl said it is not difficult to bounce back againstIndia provided his team rectifies its mistake and picksthemselves up ahead of the crucial encounter.

"It is not difficult at all (to bounce back). Indianshowed that to us on Saturday by winning the match. Noquestion why we cannot do the same," Van Zyl said on the eveof the third ODI.

"It is a question of picking yourself up and perform. Inthe last match we batted poorly. We know what we have done. Wehave to go on the field and rectify the same tomorrow.

"You have to be honest and realistic about the fact thatKallis brings balance to the middle order and to the team.

Having said that we batted well in the first game. Now we haveto apply ourselves better and improve our shot selection. Wehave that ability to get good amount of runs on the board.

Hope we do that in the remaining matches," he added.

Van Zyl said they are planning to rope in a specialistspinner for tomorrow''s match.

"It''s not about experimenting but it is about getting theright team on the park for the important match. We arethinking about that (playing a specialist spinner)," he said.

He also dismissed suggestions that toss proved to be acrucial factor in the opening two matches.

"All of us know that ball does a bit in the second halfof the game, but I will not buy that thought of doing wellonly if you win the toss.

"It is basically in your mind. Weather winning or losingthe toss, you have to put up good performance on the cricketfield. I have played here many times and you can bat well inthe second innings as well," Van Zyl said.

Asked about the bad experience of losing the last matchfrom a winning position, the Protea coach said, "Every badexperience you have to turn it around. I know how the teamfeels about Wanderers loss.

"If you work through that and analyse what went wrong, itwill help you become stronger as human being and as a teamtoo. One day when we achieve something big then we can lookback and say how we felt that day and then that will makeachievement even sweeter."

Asked about the Indian team, which is battling withinjuries, Van Zyl said even without key players the visitorsare a formidable outfit.

"I don''t think that Indian team is a depleted side in theabsence of few major players. I think about what we as a teamare and how we can get better. I am not really thinking aboutwhether Indian team is full side of depleted side. It doesn''tmatter. We are strong enough side and we need to play well,"he said.